Falling in love with my nemesis
by EnchantedDoe
Summary: Rob and Gumball are nemeses, yet they're more similar than they think. When Gumball has a bad day and his nemesis appears, hidden emotions get explored and truths are revealed. Can the glitchy cyclops and the blue cat come to an understanding? Or maybe something more. Robball. Rob x Gumball.


Falling in love with my nemesis

Gumball's morning had been like any other. Darwin and he had gotten ready for school, and boarded the school bus per usual. Darwin had decided to sit next to his girlfriend, Carrie, so Gumball found himself sitting alone that morning. Gumball's own girlfriend, Penny, was upset with him. He probably deserved it, he had spent all his time and energy on getting his nemesis back. Instead, he should have been doting on his loyal and loving girlfriend. Yet he had been chasing someone who he saw as an enemy, or at least, that was the idea.

Gumball didn't blame Penny, he just hoped that he could gain her forgiveness. Once the bus dropped off everyone at school, Gumball had made a beeline for his locker. He did not want his fish brother to see him in such a pathetic state. He had hidden it well enough as they got ready for school, but one could only hide the truth for so long.

Gumball went to all his classes on time and even participated in the lessons. His usual snarky responses and attitude were heavily dialed back due to his mood, he didn't acknowledge the confused stares he was receiving from his classmates. Although he did notice his step-brother's eyes boring into him from behind. Gumball hated keeping things from Darwin but he knew that he wasn't ready to share his pain, not yet.

As soon as the bell rang for lunch Gumball zoomed out of the classroom. He attempted to evade the large group of students in the hallway, then he turned to look at him and saw that his brother wasn't following. He was relieved and upset. Just as he turned the corner of the hallway he collided with something and was sent sprawling to the ground. Gumball quickly picked himself up and offered whomever he knocked over a hand.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I- Penny!?" Gumball panicked when he realized just who he had pummeled into. The shape-shifting fairy sat up woozily. She looked up at Gumball with startled orbs and then down to his offered hand. She hesitantly took his hand and the blue cat helped her up. The two stood in awkward silence as other students walked past. Gumball mentally smacked himself for knocking over his girlfriend, he looked at Penny and opened his mouth to speak.

Penny seemed to have the same idea because they both looked at each other and said the other's name. They blushed and looked away from the other. Gumball kicked at the floor, scuffing up imaginary dust.

"Penny I just want to say that I'm-" Penny quickly pressed a hand over Gumball's mouth, cutting his sentence off. Gumball grunted in confusion. Penny sighed. "Gumball … I … I wanted to talk to you … you see … I've been upset over the whole Rob fiasco and for good reason too!" Penny said, quickly glaring at Gumball for a retort, the cat kept silent. "Well … It's been a few weeks and I've been thinking … I've been thinking that we should … spend some time apart." Gumball deflated, his ears falling slack against his head. "It's not that I don't like you or anything! I really, really like you, but … it would seem that there are other people in our lives." Gumball shook his head, frustrated tears falling from his eyes. Penny dropped her hand from Gumball's mouth and looked like a kicked puppy.

"Penny! Please don't- Please listen to me! I-" Penny's own eyes filled with angry tears as she glared at Gumball. "No! You listen, Gumball! Boyfriend's don't chase other boys in … in …" Penny stopped for a moment to think. "A similar romantic way?" Gumball offered, cringing when Penny snarled at him. "Yes! I was there, all too happy to give you all my attention, but then you saw Rob! Then you-!" Penny hiccupped, tears now falling down her cheeks. Gumball inched forwards hoping to at least console his heartbroken love interest. However, Penny looked up at him. "It's over Gumball, I tried … goodbye!" Penny half sobbed half yelled, bolting for the door to the lunchroom. Leaving a heartbroken Gumball behind.

Gumball felt his legs collapse underneath him, tears rolling down his cheeks heavily. He sobbed, bringing his fist down onto the concrete floor. The force of contact sent shockwaves of pain up his arm, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his broken heart. "Gumball? Gumball! Oh, my goodness, are you okay?" Gumball lifted his head at the familiar voice, why did this day have to be so rough. He shot upwards, ignoring the pain in his arm and ran the opposite direction. He heard his brother's frantic shouts for him fade as he kept running. He had to keep running.

Gumball managed to lose Darwin and he slowed, coughing and rasping. His brother was a fish for crying out loud, yet he had legs like an athlete. He stumbled into the men's room and splashed water onto his face. His eyes were still puffy from crying and his skin was red from the run. His arm throbbed and his stomach growled in hunger. Crap.

He peeked out from the washroom, his locker was only a few hallways down the way. His mom packed him a lunch today so he could eat that and avoid Darwin at the same time. Suddenly the bell rang, lunch was over. Individuals began flooding the halls, Gumball sighed.

Gumball saw his locker in the distance, he sped up. Sadly, he didn't see the foot that coincidentally stuck out before him, tripping him. Gumball flew forward, he collided with the floor and tumbled onto his side.

The hallway that had been once booming with voices had silenced. Some creatures gasped while others snickered. However, Gumball's attention was cut short by a howl of laughter and a painful tug at his scruff. Gumball fought the hand that grabbed him but was sharply turned to face his assaulter. Holding him by the scruff of his neck was none other than Bomb guy. The male bomb being was smiling smugly, his lackeys cheering him on from behind.

Gumball gulped. Shit. The last thing he needed was another bloody nose or some form of humiliation. Gumball looked around, no teachers or friendly faces in sight, great. His heart raced in fear but he glared at Bomb Guy anyways.

"Check it out, fellas! Looks like I caught a scared, wimpy, pussy-cat." Bomb guy sneered, his lackeys snickering. Gumball felt his cheeks go red but he didn't drop the eye contact. "Ha-ha Bomb Guy, you're a friggen riot. You should join a circus; you and your lackeys would be perfect clowns. Oh, wait … you're already a bunch of clowns." Gumball retorted. The whole hallway burst into gasps, some hollering "Ooooooo" while others filmed with their phones. Gumball knew he was going to regret that but his harasser and co had it coming.

Rotten cupcake, one of Bomb Guy's friends, stepped up with a dangerous look in his eyes. He raised a fist at Gumball, but before he could swing Bomb Guy raised a hand to stop him. "Easy there, friend. Kitty wants to hiss, but remember, only I get to ruin his reputation." He pulled Gumball away from the crowd, his friends shooing off the crowd in the hallway. He dragged Gumball behind the school and slammed him against one of the school's brick walls.

"Finally, I'll get to carry out my revenge on you, Gumball Watterson." Bomb Guy instructed one of his friends to hold Gumball down. He then removed his gloves and smiled down at Gumball. "Any last words before I beat you to a pulp, loser?" Gumball watched Bomb Guy with narrowed eyes, he sighed and bowed his head. His day just kept on getting worse, first Penny and now this, maybe if he woke up in the hospital he'd have amnesia.

Bomb Guy waited a moment before sighing in disgust. "Geeze, you're no fun. Where's the spunky, spite mouthed cat that drove me insane?" Gumball didn't respond, he kept his head bowed and motionless. Bomb Guy almost stopped, he preferred torturing his victims and hearing their screams. Yet here he was, ready to beat a kid who had been driving him crazy. Bomb Guy shook his head, this was his one chance. He raised his fist and lunged at Gumball.

Gumball waited for the pain, but none came. He raised his head in confusion, his eyes bugged out at what he saw before him. Standing between himself and Bomb Guy was none other than Rob.

The glitched cyclops had intercepted Bomb Guy's punch with both hands. His polygon pyramid head faced Bomb Guy's in a silent but hard glare. His single eye radiating fury and power. Bomb Guy fell backward in shock, his friends followed his example. "R-Rob … I didn't know you were back …" Bomb Guy said chuckling nervously. The cute, shy cyclops that sat behind him in class was now glaring daggers at him. What a turn of events.

Gumball stared in shock. What was his nemesis doing here? More importantly, why did he save him? Rob dropped his locked gaze with Bomb Guy and turned to face Gumball. His face was unreadable. He approached Gumball and knelt before him, his eye looking over Gumball's body for any injuries. As he checked, his hands ghosted along Gumball's fur, the contact sending pleasant shivers down his spine. Rob's eye stopped by Gumball's scruff and he growled, the skin was red and raw, patches of fur was missing as well. He also took notice of one of Gumball's arms. It was swollen and purple beneath the fur. He'd deal with that later. Rob gently grasped Gumball's good arm and helped the blue cat to his feet. As Gumball regained his bearings Rob turned back to Bomb Guy and his friends.

"Bullying the smaller and weaker won't make you feel better Bomb, you and your friends should know this by now," Rob said, his voice calm. He kept his one hand secured around Gumball's wrist in case the cat lost his balance. Bomb Guy was the first to recover, he stood up and brushed himself off. He looked up at Rob and smiled cheekily. "Rob! My friend! You know us all too well! Though I must disagree with you. You see, that brat is no pushover. He's caused me and my friends more frustration than necessary. I was simply teaching him a lesson." As Bomb spoke, he cracked his knuckles, a sadistic grin forming on his lips.

Gumball instinctively hid behind Rob, he knew from experience that Bomb Guy wasn't kidding. However, the troublemaking cat still had enough energy to poke his head out from behind Rob and blew a raspberry at Bomb Guy.

He received a 'Not now' look from Rob and a sharp glare from Bomb Guy. He smiled anyway. "You see! It's that annoying and selfish behavior that makes him so unlikable! Join our side, Rob! We can make him pay for all the misery he's caused, together!" Bomb Guy said, extending a hand out to Rob expectantly.

Gumball looked up at Rob. The glitched cyclops had a debatable look on his face. It was that look that caused Gumball's heart to throb. After everything that they had been through, Rob was considering allowing more people to enter their nemesis-relationship. Did Gumball not mean anything to him anymore?

Gumball suddenly had a flashback of Penny smiling cutely at him. He felt his eyes start to water, his body began to shake from the silent sobs. His shaking form caught Rob's attention, the glitched cyclops turned his head to gaze at him in confusion. Even Bomb Guy and his friends stopped dead in their tracks at the sound of Gumball crying. All eyes were on Gumball as he sobbed.

Rob's heart broke at the sound of Gumball's cries. He had turned away from Bomb Guy and his friends to get a better look at his nemesis. Gumball had wrapped his arms around himself, his posture was hunched and stiff. He looked like he could curl into a ball at any moment.

Rob wanted to hug the upset blue cat but he was scared that Gumball might break. He had never seen his nemesis look so broken. As he stood over Gumball, Bomb Guy and his lackeys stared at each other in silent awkwardness. The mood had shifted from anger and contempt to sad and depressing in mere seconds. This fight could continue another time.

As Bomb Guy and his friends departed, Bomb Guy turned to look at Rob's back. "This isn't over Rob. Now is not the time but we will have our revenge. The invitation still stands though. You can tell us your answer another time." Bomb Guy cringed when Gumball let out a high pitch wail. Oh yeah, this could wait another time. He and his friends left the scene.

Rob carefully wrapped his arms around his nemesis in a comforting but awkward hug. He had no idea how to comfort Gumball, he didn't even know why he wanted to comfort his nemesis in the first place. The blue cat had cost him his life, his body, his memories, why was he even bothering to help Gumball.

Rob instinctively began stroking Gumball's back as the cat sobbed. He sat down on the pavement and leaned against a brick wall. He held Gumball in his lap, trying to block the sad cat from the world's brutality.

Gumball continued to sob until he was all out of tears. He began coughing and retching afterward, his body tried to vomit but there was nothing in his stomach to bring up. Rob cringed, he gently patted Gumball's back reassuringly.

"There, there, everything is okay," Rob said trying to calm his nemesis, but that only seemed to stir more emotions in Gumball. "No, it's not! Nothing (cough) is okay! She's gone! All (cough) because of me!" Rob flinched at Gumball's raspy voice, yet he didn't stop petting the cat. "Who's gone? I'm sure they're not gone because of you." Gumball laughed bitterly at Rob's attempt of comfort. His heart lifted a little at the thought that Rob cared enough to ask. "Why do you care? I thought you hated me? I'm your nemesis." Rob himself questioned his motives, he was definitely not acting like himself. Yet, he couldn't imagine acting any other way.

"Look. Let's get this straight, nemesis. I'm not doing this because I care or anything. It's just a fact that when someone is upset, you should comfort them." Gumball looked upwards at Rob and felt his cheeks glow pink. Rob also looked down and the duo made eye contact. Both blushed and turned away. "That's fine with me, but since you saved me from those bullies, I suppose I owe you an explanation," Gumball told Rob about what had happened earlier during the day. The glitched cyclops grimaced. He actually felt kind of bad for his nemesis, he never had a girlfriend or a boyfriend so he didn't know what to think. Yet, he did lose his past life so he could relate, kind of.

"Yikes, sounds like you've had quite the day, guess you know how I feel … I'm sorry, that was unnecessary." Rob apologized. Gumball looked like he was ready to fight Rob then and there but he stopped himself. He sat back down and twiddled his thumbs. "I guess that's true …" Gumball admitted. Rob looked shocked, yet slightly miffed. "You guess? Gumball, I lost everything! You took it all away! I could have lived my life but you had to come in and ruin it! I hate … I hate … I hate you!" Gumball flinched at Rob's tone. The glitched cyclops had moved to stand over him in a hostile way, his hands were stretched out like he wanted to strangle him. Gumball never broke eye contact, his expression was pained and he swallowed uneasily.

"You're right … Thanks to my obliviousness, you got hurt. You lost your family, friends, memories, everything. No mere apology is going to make things right, I won't ask you to forgive me. I only ask that you understand, it was an accident. Darwin and I were focused on Molly, if we knew you were there, we would have stopped to help you."

Gumball told Rob, who was now pacing angrily. He snapped at Gumball, his single eye flaming. "Is that all you have to say! It was an accident! Am I an accident? I got trapped in that damn void for a reason! I'm not wanted!" Rob said, his anger overboiling. He turned to the opposite wall and curled up, ignoring Gumball. Gumball tilted his head, he sighed and stood. His arm still throbbed and he was a shaking mess but he still managed to wobble to Rob. Stumbling on a loose stone Gumball fell onto Rob's back and clung to him. He pressed his cheek to Rob's back at an awkward attempt of a hug.

"I won't lie to you Rob, I don't understand the void, I doubt I ever will … but I do know one thing, that one thing is that you are not an accident. You aren't a nobody, you're special, there are plenty of people who like you. I'm one of those people." Rob blushed. It took Gumball a few moments to realize the outcome of what he said. Gumball panicked and sputtered out incoherent words. Rob had turned his body to look at Gumball questionably. Gumball yipped at the change of position and fell backward onto Rob's lap.

Rob bit his lip, trying not to laugh. Gumball's head was cushioned by Rob's abdomen and his legs were sprawled out over Rob's crossed ones. His arms were outstretched at an awkward angle. He lazily looked up at Rob and smiled in embarrassment.

"I did not mean it like that! I meant that as your nemesis you are important to me. There has to be a balance between good and evil so I need you! I mean you don't help things by being such a cinnamon roll, but you know what I mean!?" Gumball sputtered, his face red as a tomato. Rob was now shaking in laughter, he lifted his head and let out a charming laugh. Gumball covered his face with his hands, he was blushing way too hard. When did Rob have this effect on him?

Gumball felt his eyelids grow heavy, his head was cushioned by Rob's abdomen and he could make out Rob's strong heartbeat nearby. He looked up at Rob with bleary eyes and smiled affectionately. He made Rob laugh, that made Gumball very happy and warm inside. A feeling that was familiar but so different.

Rob's laughter died down to a chuckle, the glitched cyclops looked down at his nemesis who was now fighting sleep. He blinked and blushed, when had Gumball gotten so cute? He had never seen this side of his nemesis. Rob had labeled Gumball as immature, annoying, and egotistical. The blue cat was definitely trouble, yet it was hard to believe that the adorable blue cat in his lap was the same individual.

Rob hesitantly stroked Gumball's forehead, his blue fur was soft to the touch. Gumball's eyes glazed over and he purred at the attention. Rob couldn't help but use his other hand to pet the cat as well. It wasn't long before he was snaking his hands along Gumball's body earning a pleasurable purr.

Before things could get too far Rob stopped and took a deep calming breath. When did it get so hot outside? He peered down at his nemesis, the blue cat looked warmer than usual, his lips were parted slightly. Rob licked his own lips uncertainly. He leaned down until he was mere inches from Gumball's face, he could feel Gumball's breath on his cheek.

Curse that blue cat for being so attractive. Curse himself for finding his nemesis attractive. He sat up again once more. Rob turned his head to look at the direction Bomb Guy and his friends departed. He sighed and looked upwards at the darkened sky. It would be best to move to another location, that way Gumball could rest and Rob could think without disturbance. Getting out of the incoming rain was a bonus as well.

Rob scooped up Gumball bridal style and began walking away from the school. He took a mental note to visit the school later to excuse his and Gumball's tardiness. As Rob walked his thoughts wandered, and each thought revolved around the blue cat in his arms.

Rob readjusted Gumball so the cat could sleep without much turbulence. It took half an hour to walk to Rob's destination, a small run-down apartment located in a shady part of the city. He glanced at the front entrance and cursed. Standing there was a group of stereotypical looking teenagers. Dark clothes and makeup, piercings, dyed hair, etc. Rob wasn't in the mood to deal with them that day. Experience told him to find another way to his apartment.

Rob walked around the apartment to the backside and gazed upwards. The old apartment building had definitely seen better days, yet it did have some perks. The apartment had fire escapes, how convenient. Safety was definitely a factor, and safety was where Rob needed to be. Gumball squirmed, reminding Rob of the extra load in his arms. Biting his lip, Rob looked up at the fire escape and back down to his nemesis. Crap. Realizing that he would need both arms to do this Rob nudged his companion awake.

Gumball grumbled, swatting at Rob in irritation. He wasn't the only one who was exhausted and frustrated. Rob nudged Gumball again and got the same response. "Watterson … Hey … Wake up." He whispered. "Mmm." Gumball mumbled. "Hey, I need you to get up for a little bit, you can go back to sleep afterward." He whispered again. "Five more minutes Mommy." Was Gumball's response. Tired and annoyed Rob gave Gumball a good shake and forced the cat to stand on his own. He angrily whispered, "If you don't wake up now, I will do things to you in your sleep." Gumball tensed and forced himself to wake up. Glaring up at Rob, Gumball was about to retort when Rob shushed him. "No time to talk, I'll explain everything when we're not in harm's way." Gumball didn't know what Rob meant by that, or where the heck they were, but the tone of Rob's voice left no room for arguing. Gumball sighed and nodded his head. He'd let this slide just this once.

Rob exhaled in relief and pulled away from the blue cat. He told Gumball about the gang at the front and about how they needed to use the fire escape to get to their destination. Gumball questioned everything mentally but when he heard about the gang he wanted to be as far away as possible.

Rob reached upwards to grab the first fire escape ladder and he pulled it down to their level. Rob motioned for Gumball to go first, the blue cat hesitantly approached and began to climb. Rob was about to follow when he heard voices drawing near. Recognizing the voices to be the gang from earlier, he cursed. Once he and Gumball made it to the first level, he grabbed Gumball and forced the blue cat tight against his chest. He squeezed himself and Gumball into a shadowy corner and covered Gumball's mouth with his hand.

Gumball squirmed against Rob's chest but he stopped when the voices reached his ears. Instead, he pressed into Rob and buried his face against his chest. Fearfully, he peeked out from Rob's shoulder, a small group of teenagers wandered near. They all looked like they were seeking trouble, foul expressions, and heavy smack talk. Gumball's nose twitched, he could smell their cigarette breath from up there. That said something. Terrified of accidentally giving away their position, he turned back to Rob and once again hid his face in Rob's chest. The cyclops had a firm grip on his backside, one arm secured around his middle, while the other supported his rear. It was times like these that made Gumball feel small.

Rob kept his attention on the group, listening and waiting. Hoping for a sign that they would leave. Unfortunately, the group had decided to kick back and chat, it didn't look like they had any intention of leaving anytime soon. Rob swore under his breath, he was getting tired, and the scared ball of fur in his arms wasn't easing his anxiety. He could practically feel Gumball shaking, his heart pounding in his chest rapidly. They needed a distraction.

Glancing around the fire escape he noticed a small clump of coal. Perfect. He let one of his arms go slack and Gumball clung to him tighter. He needed to throw that piece of coal somewhere far enough to create a temporary diversion and get Gumball to hurry up that ladder and get his butt into his apartment. Shouldn't be too hard. The blue cat didn't seem too willing to cooperate however, he seemed paralyzed in fear. Rob went over some scenarios in his head, none of them turned out pretty. Rob realized that Gumball wasn't in any condition to scramble up those ladders. He would need help. Ironic that it was from his nemesis.

Dropping his head into the crook of Gumball's neck he hushed Gumball's terrified whimpering and gently stroked his bangs. "Hush. I know you're afraid, but I won't let them touch you. You're my nemesis, only I can harm you." He meant that statement to be threatening, why did it send pleasant shivers down his spine. Gumball looked up at him with a similar expression. They had an awkward stare down before they both jumped when a sharp laugh erupted below them. They had forgotten about the group below them. Stupid hormones. Gumball tilted his head and offered a shy smile.

"R-right. I'm yours. What's the p-plan?" Rob felt his heart tug at that statement, yet he pushed the feeling away and showed Gumball the piece of coal. "I'm going to throw this, somewhere near that gang and create a diversion. Then I'm going to book it up those ladders, do you think you can keep up or … or do you want me to carry you?" Rob asked. His grip on the cat tightened when he spoke, he didn't want to risk Gumball's safety but he also didn't want to force the boy to do anything. "I … I want … c-can you carry me, please?" Gumball asked, his arms tightening around Rob. He could feel himself shaking and he didn't want to know how that would affect his climbing skills.

Rob grunted and without looking at Gumball, shifted the cat boy onto his back. Gumball wrapped his arms around Rob's back and quickly secured himself so he wouldn't fall. With both arms free, Rob stretched out his muscles and turned to look down at the gang. "Hold on tight, the moment this coal makes contact, I'm bolting up those ladders," Rob warned. Just as Gumball managed to tighten his hold fearfully, Rob launched the coal. It soared through the air and made contact with a bunch of trashcans, sending the silver canisters to the ground in a heap. Rob bolted, his legs going into overdrive. He clambered onto the ladder and began to climb up and beyond, he told himself not to look down and just keep going.

Gumball clung to Rob as the duo climbed the fire escape. His arms were tightly wound around Rob's chest as were his legs. His tail curled just under his own thighs timidly. He could feel Rob's muscles move underneath him and it sent weird shivers up his spine. What was wrong with him?

Taking a risk, Gumball peeked out from Rob's back and looked down. Just as they had planned, the gang had gone to investigate the knocked over trashcans and didn't seem to notice the cyclops and cat scaling the apartment. Smiling in relief, Gumball pressed even closer to Rob, resting his cheek against the warm sweater that Rob wore.

The ascent to Rob's apartment was met with silence along with Rob's heavy breathing. Gumball pouted, worried that he was weighing Rob down. He gently tapped Rob's shoulder and leaned into Rob's ear.

"I can climb on my own if you're tired." Rob snorted, stopping on one of the landings to catch his breath. He turned his eye to look at Gumball and offered an honest smile. "You're not heavy, I'm just not used to bolting up fire escapes." He shrugged his shoulders, easily jostling Gumball around. The blue cat hissed and swatted at Rob playfully. Now that they were high enough, they could take it easy and climb the rest of the fire escape. Gumball let himself slide off Rob's back, wanting to spite the taller male. He stuck out his tongue and crossed his arms defiantly. Rob laughed a little and without thinking reached down to pat Gumball's head.

"Heh, you're a little stinker, aren't you?" Gumball flushed and looked up at Rob with startled eyes. Rob quickly caught on and quickly removed his hand, his face turning red. "I-I mean, you're an annoying troublemaker, who I hate and wish were dead!" He snarled and began climbing the ladder, leaving Gumball to gawk up at him. Gumball pouted and stomped his foot angerly. "Oh y-yeah! I hate- … I hate- …"

Gumball's sentence drifted off into the wind, he closed his mouth and sighed. Did he hate Rob? He was certainly frustrated with him, but he didn't hate the guy. Climbing after Rob was a lot more difficult than Gumball had expected. His long noodle arms and legs carried him farther and quicker, Gumball was huffing and panting by the time he caught up.

The two stood on the landing of what seemed to be the eighteenth floor of the apartment building. Rob faced the opposite direction, staring at a window, he grunted and looked over at Gumball. "My window is locked …" He admitted, an embarrassed blush covering his cheeks. Gumball smiled and laughed a little. "I imagine it's not every day that you use the fire escape, hmm? Let me take a look."

Gumball stepped by Rob and stood on his tippy toes to observe the window. He was a little short, so he had to reach up to get his paws on the lock. He squeaked when he felt two arms wrap around his waist and got hoisted into the air, just high enough to reach the lock. He turned his head to look at Rob with surprised eyes.

"W-what? You looked like you needed a boost. Just whatever, what exactly are you trying to do anyway?" He asked the cat, rolling his eye. Gumball slightly blushed and turned back to the lock. "I'm a cat, therefore I have claws. A lock's worst nightmare." Gumball extended his claws and began to fiddle with the lock, his nail twisting and turning until a soft click was heard. Smiling in victory, Gumball opened the window and smirked at Rob.

"Gentlemen first." Rob gawked at the window in amazement. But when he met Gumball's eyes he snorted and shrugged. "Not bad I guess." He carried Gumball inside and closed the window behind them. Gently, he set the blue cat down on his feet. Pulling off his shoes he walked off deeper into the apartment. Gumball watched him leave, standing alone in what he assumed to be the living room. Also, yanking off his shoes, he placed them beside Rob's and he stood up. Tilting his head in confusion he watched the door that Rob departed in for a moment before shrugging and looking around.

Rob's apartment was small but was well kept, he had decent furniture and the floors were covered in soft carpet. The apartment had a clean kitchen beside the living room and down a hallway led to three other rooms. Wiggling his toes in the carpet he smiled and padded into the kitchen. He observed the cabinets and fridge but told himself not to touch anything, he was a guest after all.

Speaking of guests, where was his host? Peeking out of the kitchen he stared down the hallway at the three rooms. Curiosity won over, and he padded to one of the rooms. The first room was a bathroom, the second room seemed to be some sort of office, the third, however, had a light on and the door was creaked open just a smidge. Tiptoeing over he peeked through the crevice of the door. His heart rate increased when he saw Rob sitting on the edge of a bed.

The glitched cyclops had his head in his hands, his form hunched and tired. Gumball almost walked in but decided against it, instead he did what any normal person did. He knocked. The taller male seemed to perk up and he turned his head to face the doorway, as he singled out Gumball his tired expression was masked with mock disgust.

"What do you want?" He asked, irritation lacing his tone. Gumball flinched but remained where he was. "I … I just wanted to check on you … you walked off." Gumball replied, his brown eyes lifting to meet Rob's single hourglass eye. His heart did a little lift when Rob's glare softened. "It's none of your business, Watterson." He told the blue cat, his tired demeanor showing once more. Gumball pouted and decided to take a risk. "C-can I come in?" He asked, a blush present on his face. Rob merely waved his hand and fell back onto his bed.

"You're practically already in my home so why the fuck not." He snapped, turning away from the cat. Gumball's ears flattened, a frustrated sigh leaving his lips. He stepped into the room and made his way over to Rob's bed. With a bit of struggling, he managed to pull himself onto the bed and he sat beside Rob. Not wanting to cause any more stress to Rob he just sat there with his legs dangling. After a few minutes of just sitting there, Gumball glanced over at Rob. "D-did I do something wrong?" He asked, a slight whimper in his tone. He didn't want Rob to be more cross with him than usual. He didn't know why, but it hurt to have Rob so bitter.

He heard a grunt emit from behind him and he glanced over to see that Rob was still facing the other way. "Depends. My nemesis is in my home and in my bed, would you say that something is wrong-" Rob halted and with a quick flip, he was glaring into Gumball's eyes with a red face. "I didn't mean it like that! It's just with our current situation and-! And! Get off my bed!" He screamed at Gumball, sending the smaller male scrambling off the bed and tripping onto the floor. He looked up at Rob fearfully and tears started to well up in his eyes. He was out the door in seconds. Running into the living room and collapsing on the couch, he shook, holding his muzzle trying to quiet his sobs.

Rob snarled at Gumball's retreating form, he stopped though, when his single eye met Gumball's terrified brown eyes. Something in his heart tore and he could only reach his hand out as the cat ran out of the room. His mouth opened but no words came out, his conscience screamed at him to follow the cat but his body wouldn't move.

Groaning and falling flat on his face, he swore under his breath. He didn't mean to show so much anger but his patience was wearing thin. His nemesis was in his home and was trying to worm his way into his business and it annoyed him to no end. A tiny voice at the back of his head told him that there was a chance that Gumball was only trying to help, however, it was squashed.

Allowing himself to fall into slumber, he assured himself that he'd give Gumball some space and time before confronting him. Maybe, the guilt would wash away by then. Hours passed and the glitched cyclops opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness. Night had fallen and with a slight turn of his head he saw that it was 12 am. Technically it was tomorrow. His heart leaped in fear when a memory of Gumball's terrified face entered his mind.

Jumping off the bed and onto his feet, he walked down the hallway into the living room and looked around. His nemesis was nowhere to be found. Had he gone home? No way, those gang members would have clobbered him. An image of Gumball, bruised up and lying limp on the pavement, came to him and left a bitter taste in his mouth. He searched his apartment from top to bottom, it wasn't long before he was starting to get worried.

"Watterson! Watterson! Gumball!" He called out, moving the furniture around and checking behind the curtains. "Where the hell are you? …" He mumbled. Standing on the carpet near the couches he swept his small apartment with his eye. Gazing at his fireplace in silent dread he began fearing the worst.

Maybe Gumball did leave his apartment. Was he okay? Did he need his help? The cyclops sped walked to the window but was stopped when a small cough emitted from the couch. Moving to stand in front of it he took notice of a small blue tail poking out from a bundle of blankets. Sighing in relief, he gently pulled the blankets away, revealing his sleeping nemesis. The blue cat was curled up in the blankets and was facing the back cushion of the couch. Rob flinched internally when he noticed tear strains on the cat boy's cheeks, looks like he cried himself to sleep.

Sitting down beside him, Rob debated on whether or not to wake the cat. He did look rather adorable, all curled up and sleeping. Without thinking, he reached into the cocoon of blankets and ever so gently stroked Gumball's back. Almost instantly, Gumball pressed into the touch and started purring. His small body stretched and turned slightly. His shirt rode up his chest, exposing his belly and part of his chest. Rob full on blushed, his face turning crimson. His hand moved to Gumball's front and began to rub his belly. A smile formed on Gumball's face, and he too flushed and meowed.

Rob once again, was at a loss on what to do. Just like back in the alley he felt a strong need to hold the smaller male. He moved to crawl over Gumball and glared down at him. 'Stupid cat and your stupid adorable face.' He thought. Leaning down closer he inspecting the blue cat's features. Long black eyelashes poked out from his shut eyes, giving the male cat a slight feminine charm. His mocha nose twitched occasionally, atop a light blue muzzle with a flurry of white whiskers. Fluffy blue bangs cascaded down his forehead, framing his delicate face.

His breath gently ruffled Gumball's bangs and made the smaller male shiver. He eyed the boy's lips and was questioning whether he should continue. Was it worth it? Did he like his nemesis in that way? He knew he didn't hate the cat, but he was certain that he was far from liking him as a friend. Pushing aside his hormones, he pushed himself back up and admired the cat from above. 'I'll wait. If he's truly deserving of my affections then he'll prove it. Then we both won't get hurt.' Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the flutter of eyelashes below him.

"R-rob?" Came the tired and scared voice of his nemesis. Looking down he flushed in embarrassment, his single yellow hourglass eye met Gumball's chocolate eyes. His current position sent red flags off in his head and he scrambled off of Gumball. The blue cat sat up and looked up at Rob in confusion. Rob brought his legs to his chest and glared down at Gumball. "I … I wasn't trying anything I swear!" He snapped. Flinching away at the outburst, Gumball backed away in fear, tears welling in his eyes once more.

Rob sprung into action and grasped Gumball's arm before the cat could fall off the couch. "Whoa! Whoa! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, pulling Gumball closer and safely back onto the couch. Gumball remained distant from Rob and stared up at him. "I'm sorry I yelled, I'm just … so confused and angry. You're my nemesis, yet you're in my home and I'm … okay with it." The fear disappeared in Gumball's eyes and something new set in. "Y-you … you like me being here with you?" He asked hopefully.

Rob scoffed and rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know … maybe … I haven't had any company before, it feels … nice, I guess." Gumball got onto all fours and moved closer, a smile forming on his lips. "I like you too! I've never felt this way with another person … even with Penny." He admitted. Rob's heart lifted a little, yet he covered it with a scowl. "I don't like you! You're my nemesis for crying out loud! I'm just … lonely." He spat, wilting a little at the last part. Gumball didn't flee this time, instead, he crawled closer. "I can keep you company … if you'll let me? …" He asked, blushing a little.

Rob also blushed, his single eye avoiding Gumball's eyes. "Well, you're already here, aren't you? I guess you can … if you want." He said, looking down at the cushion. Gumball crawled in between Rob's legs and hugged the taller male. Rob froze, his arms lifted, yet he didn't push the cat away like he intended. Instead, his noodle arms loosely wrapped around Gumball's back in a weak embrace. Gumball stuck his muzzle in Rob's neck and purred, offering any comfort he could. Rob's arms tightened until the blue cat and pressed tightly to his chest in response.

Feeling something wet hit his head he raised one of his paws to gently wipe at Rob's cheek. Rob was crying, tears were falling from his single eye, and it made Gumball cling to him more. He pulled away to look up at Rob and smiled warmly. "It's okay to cry, but I don't want you to be sad … I want you to cry happy tears. You know why? because I'm here now. I'll help you, however, I can." Rob felt his lips tug upwards at Gumball's honesty. He pulled the cat in for another embrace and sniffled.

Hugging Rob back just as hard, Gumball felt his own eyes water. Not for himself, but for his friend. "I took everything away from you, your memories, your body, your life. Sorry won't make things right, but it can help ease some of the pain. I'll be honest with you, Rob. I didn't see you or hear you in the void, I was so wrapped up in rescuing Molly, that I shut everything else out. So, accident or not, this was still my fault, and I'm sorry." He apologized from before, but this time, his words were much more heartfelt and he was trying not to cry.

Rob rested his chin on Gumball's head and squeezed the cat reassuringly. Not knowing what to say, he pressed a kiss to Gumball's forehead and leaned back so he was resting on one of the couch pillows. "I can't say if I'll ever fully forgive you, but … I'm touched by your sincerity, thank you for treating me like a living being." Gumball broke down into sobs and buried his face in Rob's sweater. He had never really thought about how much this had affected him internally, and now, it all came to the surface. Rob held him tightly and kissed his head a few more times, hoping to calm the cat down. "There, there, Kitty. It's alright … I'm here … we're together." He said comfortingly. His hand reached out for the blanket and he pulled it over Gumball's back, covering the two of them.

Eventually, Gumball did calm down, his sobs turned into hiccups and sniffles. He didn't move away from Rob, merely snuggling closer to the taller male. Blushing, he pecked Rob's cheek and went back to cuddling the glitched cyclops. Rob blushed and smiled, tightening his arms around Gumball once more and he started humming a lullaby. A lullaby that he would hum to ease himself into slumber. Gumball yawned and snuggled up one last time before closing his eyes.

Rob placed one last kiss on Gumball's forehead before submitting to the sweet allure of sleep. His tall lanky form spooned Gumball's smaller form as he pulled the cat closer. The two slept in each other's arms that night and also learned that they weren't so different. Could a relationship work between them? Only time would tell.


End file.
